


Stuck!

by Esperanto



Category: Glee
Genre: Blind Date, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Romance, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24029569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esperanto/pseuds/Esperanto
Summary: Things go from bad to worse when Kurt, already running late for his blind date, gets stuck in the elevator. Blaine isn't going to let a little thing like two feet of metal get in the way of a perfectly good date.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Comments: 39
Kudos: 136





	Stuck!

**Author's Note:**

> They say write what you know and I've been stuck in an elevator twice, so...here we are! Just a bit of fun to keep you entertained during quarantine.

Kurt hummed cheerfully to himself as he ducked and weaved down the busy New York City sidewalk. There was a bounce in his step; he had a date tonight. 

Checking his watch, he frowned when he realized how close he was cutting it. He couldn’t control the subway schedule, naturally, but he didn’t want to start things off on the wrong foot. Who knew where this night could lead?

Kurt reminded himself that it was only a blind date. He needed to get a grip on himself before he got swept up in romantic fantasies only to be brought crashing back to earth when his yet-to-be-seen date turned out to be wholly unimpressive.

His brother Finn had told him on more than one occasion that he would never find someone if he kept being so picky. “There is nothing wrong with having high standards,” was his usual counter argument and he was sticking with it. Kurt knew that he was fabulous and he wasn’t going to bother with anyone who couldn’t keep up with him. 

Part of the reason he was so… selective, was that he had big dreams when it came to romance. He wanted to be swept off his feet. He wanted to fall head over heels. The guys he had met in New York so far just didn’t give him that feeling of magic that he had yearned for since he had been a child. Kurt Hummel didn’t do things half way.

When you are used to the world being against you, you develop a hard outer shell. Kurt was starting to learn how to let his walls down, now that he didn’t need them quite so much. It had been hard at first. For the first few months, he didn’t trust anyone other than the handful of friends from high school he had come out east with. Little by little, though, he had started to take down some of the protective layers he’d wrapped around himself.

He began to scan the numbers on the apartment buildings, looking for the right one. He was getting close. 

_“You’re going to his house before you’ve even met him?!” Rachel had shrieked. “I’m going to be interviewed on the eleven o’clock news tomorrow, aren’t I?”_

_“Oh relax! He’s one of Tina’s co-stars; she’s been over to his place plenty of times and she still has all of her limbs.”_

_“Maybe he has a type, Kurt. I bet you didn’t think of that, did you?”_

Kurt had found Rachel’s protests ridiculous, yet he couldn’t help hearing her words echo in his mind as he pushed the buzzer for 6B.

His date buzzed him through. Like most apartments people his age could afford, this building had seen better days. Kurt had to wrestle the front door open, racing the clock to get in before the buzzer timed out.

There was a granite ledge in the entryway with a half dozen household items some overly optimistic tenant was hoping to give away rather than waste. He shook his head in disdain. _No one wants your mason jar full of dried beans, you weirdo._

He pushed the call button for the elevator, hoping it wasn’t broken.

There was an awkwardly long interval between the elevator ding and the actual opening of the doors. _At least it works._ Kurt did not want to show up for this date covered in a light sheen of sweat from walking up six floors. He knew all too well how red his face got the minute he exerted himself in the slightest. It wasn’t an attractive look for him.

Kurt rolled his eyes at the “conditional” certificate displayed in the elevator, claiming that the elevator was in acceptable working order despite several code violations. The certificate itself was three years old. He shouldn’t judge; his building wasn’t even nice enough to _have_ an elevator. 

_That’s odd._ The button for the sixth floor wasn’t lit up. Kurt was sure he had pushed it…well, he was pretty sure. He touched the button and it turned egg yolk yellow. The elevator chugged along, shuddering and spasming from time to time.

Finally, the elevator wheezed to a stop. Kurt waited, figuring the elderly appliance would take a few seconds to figure out how to slide open it’s ancient doors. A few more seconds ticked by. Nothing happened. 

Kurt hit the button for the sixth floor, but this time the light only stayed on briefly before flickering off. _Uh oh._

He began jamming his finger into the button, as if pushing hard enough might wake the machine back up. He tried the ‘lobby’ button next and then the 'door open’ button. 

Nothing.

_Shit._

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

This was not happening.

_Fuck._

This could not be happening.

_Oh my god, I’m stuck in a fucking elevator._

Heart beating rapidly, Kurt paced back and forth in the metal shoebox that had become his prison, trying to think. Perhaps if he just stayed calm, it would just carry on its way and he would arrive just a minute or two late for his date but with a funny story for his trouble. Perhaps they would laugh about this in a few years when people asked how they had met.

It wasn’t moving. It had been five minutes and the elevator was just as stubbornly wedged between floors as ever. It was time to take action.

Kurt pulled out his cell phone, only to discover that he had no service. _Of course, no one ever has fucking cell phone service in the elevator._ Previously, this fact had only ever felt like an inconvenience, but had now become a matter of survival.

Kurt began to really study his environment, looking for anything useful. There wasn’t much to this metal box, unfortunately. There was cracked tile on the floor, a loose handrail on one wall, the expired certificate (which wasn’t nearly so amusing now), and the usual rows of numbered buttons.

Well, mostly numbered.

_Open door, close door, call…_

There was a call button. Kurt felt a surge of relief. Impatiently, he jammed his finger much harder than necessary into the button. The sound of a telephone ringing filled the elevator.

“Hello? Elevator Services, how may I help you?” asked a crackling voice, with no sense of urgency.

Kurt had to crouch down to answer. 

“Uh, hi? I’m stuck in an elevator.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that. Do you know your address?”

Thankfully, even without service he was able to pull up the text Tina had sent him with the address. Kurt read it off.

“We are sending a technician your way.”

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you!”

The call ended and Kurt was filled with relief. Someone was coming. Rescue was on its way.

Then the silence settled in. It was just so quiet. The elevator felt like a tomb. Suddenly, the walls were far too close. He wondered how much air he had in here.

Bzzz.

It was his phone. It was vibrating. _Service!_

“Hello?” he answered the phone breathlessly.

“Uh, yes, hi. Is this, um, is this Kurt?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh good! It’s Blaine. Did you need help finding my apartment or something? Because I buzzed you in over ten minutes ago and I’m starting to get a little worried that you’ve been kidnapped or changed your mind.”

“Blaine! You’ll never believe where I am!”

Blaine chuckled softly. “If you say ‘in your apartment’ I’m going to either be very freaked out or very impressed.”

In spite of the seriousness of his situation, Kurt felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “No, I’m stuck in your elevator.”

Kurt heard a slight gasp from the other side of the call. “Oh no! Are you alright?” Blaine asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I’m not hurt or anything, I’m just sort of…trapped. I was able to use one of the emergency buttons to call for help already. They said they were sending someone. I guess I just have to wait? I’m sorry, I know you were making dinner and now I’ve surely spoilt it.” Kurt stopped before his rambling became life threatening.

“Are you seriously apologizing to me? I mean it’s _my_ elevator after all. Shit, I knew something like this was bound to happen. That thing has always been dubious. I tried talking to the landlord about getting it up to code but he just keeps feeding me lines about how it’s perfectly safe and they can’t afford the repairs. But still…what are the odds it would finally break down with my date inside. Seriously, Kurt I am _so_ sorry. I swear I am going to have _words_ with him after this is all over.” 

Now, Blaine sounded indignant. It was sort of adorable, how quickly he jumped to Kurt’s defense. 

“It’s not your fault, Blaine. I should be apologizing too. I would have called you if I’d realized I had any bars. There wasn’t any service the first time I checked.” Kurt held the phone away from his face. “Looks like I’ve only got one bar as it is, so who knows how long this connection will keep.”

“I promise I won’t take it personally if you hang up on me. I’m going to set dinner in the oven to keep warm.” Blaine paused and Kurt could almost _hear_ him thinking over on the other end. “Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?”

Kurt bristled. He wasn’t a child. “You don’t need to babysit me, Blaine.”

“Oh! I, uh, no, no of course not. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply I just… I thought…I just know that if it was me, I wouldn’t want to just sit there in a small, quiet space all alone like that.”

He sounded so devastatingly sincere that Kurt slowly eased his defenses back down. Kurt couldn’t help but notice that the walls had finally stopped feeling like they were closing in on him since he picked up the phone.

Blaine seemed to take his silence as an answer. “Obviously, you don't want to just listen to me ramble, I’m very—”

Kurt cut him off, “—stay. Please, stay.”

“Oh, well, alright then.”

“So, tell me about _South Pacific_?” Kurt asked, trying to make conversation. All Kurt knew about Blaine was that he was Tina’s co-star and that Tina insisted he was very charming and definitely gay. Kurt hadn’t asked about that last part, but knowing Tina she probably knew that first-hand… poor girl.

“It’s just the best! I mean I only have a small part, but getting to sing ‘There is Nothing Like a Dame’ is such a blast. The director’s doing this really interesting thing with the choreography too…”

Kurt let the sound of Blaine’s voice wash over him, chasing away the strange, oppressive loneliness of his entombed state. Blaine’s enthusiasm was infectious and his positivity wrapped around Kurt like a warm blanket. He felt… safe.

“…you seen Tina do her song yet? Oh, if you haven’t you’re in for a treat, I mean there’s this one part—”

The line went dead. _Shit._

Kurt pulled the phone away from his face, confirming that he had lost reception entirely. He let his head lean back far enough to smack gently against the wall.

He looked around the room, listening to the dead silence. He tried not to think about how thirsty he was getting. Or about what the odds were that he was about to go crashing to his tragically early death. _Did something just move?_ Gulp.

Was this some sort of punishment? A sign from the universe, perhaps, that he should stop holding out for epic romance and just settle for someone already? 

Then he heard something.

“Kurt?” It was his name, muffled, but clear enough to discern through the wall.

“Blaine?” he shouted back.

“Kurt! There you are! Can you hear me?” Blaine’s voice was louder now.

“Yes, I think you don’t need to shout anymore. What are you doing here?” he asked in confusion. Blaine wasn’t going to try to rescue him, was he?

“Well, we got disconnected so I came to find you.” Blaine explained this like it was the most natural thing in the world. Kurt had been stood up by a date once for being ten minutes late and had another date called off when the guy found out what part of town he lived in. Apparently, inconvenience wasn’t a deterrent for Blaine. “Sorry it took so long, I wasn’t sure what floor you were on.”

Kurt realized that neither did he. “Where did I end up, anyways?”

“Well, I’m on the third floor right now and your voice is above me so I guess in between third and fourth? Oh, and I also called my landlord; he’s going to try to get an ETA on the technician because you’ve been in there for ages.”

Kurt let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god!”

“So, in the meantime… if you can’t come to the date, then the date will just have to come to you!”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Leaving Kurt’s question unanswered, Blaine asked Kurt if he had anything to write with.

Kurt couldn’t help but smile at Blaine’s eagerness. “Yeah, I have a sketchpad.”

“Perfect! What are you wearing?”

_What the fuck?_

“I am _not_ having phone sex with you right now, Blaine, Jesus have you ever heard of timing?”

Blaine made a strange choking sound.

“Wow! No, Kurt, I swear I’m not _that_ much of a pervert… at least not on the first date.” 

Kurt snorted.

Blaine huffed and continued, “I was only asking because if this is the beginning of the date then this is the part where I give you flowers, but I wanted to match your outfit. You do work in fashion, after all.”

Kurt softened. “Oh, well that’s… rather gentlemanly of you. But… how exactly are you going to give me flowers when there’s a wall separating us?”

“Well, I was hoping it could be a team effort. Again, I’m assuming here from your background, but you’re probably a decent artist. If I describe the flowers I chose, will you draw them for yourself?”

“I…” This was either the dumbest or the cutest thing Kurt had ever heard. “Yeah, alright. I’m, um, I’m in silvers and blacks mostly with a pop of raspberry.” He decided it was cute, definitely cute.

“Hmm…alright, how about ranunculus? A little more interesting than roses but still classic.”

Kurt smiled to himself. “Tina told you, didn’t she? That’s cheating, Blaine!”

“Told me what?” he asked in genuine curiosity.

“Oh, it’s just… that was my mother’s favorite flower. I’ve always… they’ve always been special to me.”

“Oh,” said Blaine softly. “I can pick something else, I mean, I didn’t mean to make you sad or—”

“No! It’s a perfect choice, really. She passed away a long time ago; it doesn’t hurt so bad to remember anymore. I… I like feeling close to her.”

Kurt drew the tight layers of petals, holding one another close, more perfect than any rose.

“I should probably mention that I didn’t actually get you flowers… just so you’re not too disappointed when you actually make it to my apartment. I was already making dinner and I… I’ve been told I can come on too strong sometimes and I didn't want to overdo it.” Blaine’s confession came out rushed.

Kurt put the finishing touches on the leaves. “Well, I have a bouquet of ranunculus that says different. And, um, I don’t mind someone who isn’t trying to play games. It’s refreshing.”

Blaine chuckled, although Kurt had been speaking sincerely. “This would be a bad time to mention that phase two of the date is getting-to-know-you games, then, wouldn’t it?”

Kurt laughed. “What did you have in mind?”

“Please keep in mind that I had very little preparation for this date before you judge my lack of creativity and I know it’s a little college frat party, but… never have I ever?”

“How do you play that with two people and no booze?” Kurt asked.

“Well, I don’t think there will be a winner or anything. I was thinking we could just take turns saying something we’ve never done and then the other person has to say if they’ve done that thing?”

“Sure, why not? But I’m adding that we each get one free pass to skip a question.”

“Why, got some skeletons in the closet, Kurt?” Blaine teased. 

“Oh, just start already,” Kurt huffed in mock exasperation.

“Never have I ever… kissed a girl,” Blaine said smugly.

“Wow, someone was very sure of their sexuality growing up! Although, my brief foray into the world of hetero romance was less of an identity crisis than wishful thinking that I could just be normal.”

_Way to be a downer, Kurt._

“No judgement. That sounds hard. Your turn.”

“Never have I ever… been blackout drunk.” Sure, Kurt had been drunk before, especially in college, but he’d always kept things moderately under control. Honestly, while he enjoyed the looseness that came with getting drunk, the idea of being that out of control frightened him far too much. _Great, now Blaine knows what an uptight control freak I am._

“Oh, you lucky, lucky man. One time was enough for me. I woke up in bed with some guy with no memory of how I’d gotten there. I was so embarrassed I snuck out while he was still asleep. Although, I did check the trashcan to make sure we used protection. And… that was definitely an overshare, yikes.”

“Everyone has a random.”

“Oh, hey, Kurt? The landlord finally called me back, give me a sec.” The gentle cadence of Blaine’s voice traveled through the wall, too quiet for Kurt to make out the words as he spoke on the phone to his landlord.

“Good news, Kurt! He says that the technicians are almost here!”

“Oh, thank god!” _I really need to pee._

“Where were we? Never have I ever… cheated in a relationship.”

“Noted. Also, same. That one would have been awkward if I had.”

“You always could have used your veto.”

“I mean, I think vetoing that question is still an answer, but sure. Alright, it’s my turn…”

Suddenly the elevator shifted, and then he was falling. 

Kurt screamed.

The elevator car couldn’t have fallen more than a few inches but it was long enough for Kurt to be briefly gripped with mortal terror. As much as he had thought about the possibility of the elevator falling, he had never _really_ thought it could happen. Then there was a loud clanging noise coming from above him, and finally the elevator doors slid open.

A middle-aged woman in a safety vest stood above him. Behind her, bushy brown eyebrows furrowed together in concern, stood a man Kurt could only assume was Blaine.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked.

“The elevator dropped!” Kurt shrieked.

The woman shrugged. “Yeah, that can happen sometimes when we open things up.” She was far too nonchalant for Kurt’s taste.

“Maybe warn a guy next time? I thought I was going to die for a second there.”

“Sure, sure,” she said brusquely. “Are you coming out or what?” She reached her hand out but Kurt reached for the arm of the man beside her instead. Blaine’s grasp was strong and sure, pulling him from the jaws of that dastardly contraption and out into the hallway.

“Kurt, you’re shaking!” Blaine observed, looking worried.

“Did you miss the part where I thought I was going to _die_!” He addressed the last few words at the elevator technician in a savage tone.

Blaine wrapped an arm around his waist. “Let’s get you inside, huh? I have wine or maybe you’d rather have some nice chamomile tea?”

Kurt nodded and leaned in to the warmth and stability of Blaine’s body. His knees were still quivering.

“Are we done here?” Blaine asked the technician firmly.

“Yes. I’ll just finish writing up the report but you gentlemen can move on with your evening”

“Thank you. And if it’s at all possible, I hope you will speak to our management company about improving the elevator safety here.”

“Not my department, sorry. Have a nice date,” she smirked.

Kurt blushed and Blaine’s hand rubbed his back soothingly. “Come on, let’s see if dinner is salvageable.”

Blaine escorted him up two flights of stairs and finally, two hours late, Kurt made it to his destination.

He stashed his coat and bag on the coat rack by the door and took in Blaine’s apartment. It was small, like his own, but lovingly decorated with colorful throw blankets and large photographs of a smiling Blaine with various loved ones.

“I like your apartment.”

Blaine blushed slightly. “Thank you. Please, uh, you can sit down and I’ll see if my roast chicken isn’t too dry for human consumption.” 

Kurt took the chair Blaine had indicated, admiring the way he had set the table with placemats and a small cluster of tea light candles in the center of the table for decoration. He really had gone to a lot of effort for a blind date.

Blaine came back in from the kitchen with a serving dish. “I’ve determined that it’s edible, but you can only eat this if you promise you’ll wait until next time to judge my cooking prowess, okay?”

“Next time, huh?” Kurt said cheekily. 

Blaine’s hazel eyes widened. “I didn’t mean… no, let’s be honest I did mean it. I know we’ve only been face to face for about fifteen minutes but… you told me you didn’t like playing games so I’m just going to be honest with you and hope you really aren’t scared by someone who comes on too strong. I already know I’m going to want to see you again. I knew it before I even saw how gorgeous you are, not that I’m not appreciating that because I am. Just talking to you, I could tell you were someone special. That’s why I tried so hard to impress you with my weird elevator date. Sorry, I know I’m a silly romantic but I can’t help it.”

Kurt gasped, his heart swelling in his chest. He was overwhelmed by emotion and suddenly lost for words. No one had ever acted like this with Kurt before. In the past, dating had felt like a game of chess, each person carefully calculating their next move, not wanting to give away their strategy. Blaine was just so open and honest with his feelings, so hopeful without pressuring, so generous without expecting anything in return. 

To his utter embarrassment, tears pricked at his eyes. He turned away from Blaine, desperately trying to dab at the corners of his eyes without his date noticing. Turning back to Blaine, he gave him a watery smile, hoping it was enough to convey how he was feeling.

Blaine beamed back. “Chicken?”

Kurt nodded.

“And you promise?” Blaine prodded, clearly serious about his cooking being spared judgement.

“Yes, of course, I’ve been trapped in an elevator for two hours; I’m famished. Give me some fucking chicken before I pass out on your area rug.”

Blaine’s eyes twinkled in amusement.

“Sorry, I have a tendency to get a little hangry.”

They ate, falling into a companionable silence. The chicken was a little on the dry side, but surprisingly good all things considered and Kurt could appreciate the spice rub Blaine had used. And he was much too hungry to care.

After they finished eating and they had set their dishes into the sink to soak, Blaine turned to him and asked shyly, “I know it’s getting late but would you like to sneak up onto the roof with me? I thought you might enjoy going somewhere with lots of open space after being cooped up for so long.”

Kurt grinned. “That sounds perfect. I’m in.”

Grabbing their coats, Kurt followed Blaine out onto the fire escape and up the rickety stairs two more floors to the roof. After Blaine assured him it was up to code, anyways.

They hopped over an ineffective gate and scrambled onto the roof. Blaine shook out a blanket that Kurt hadn’t realized he had. They sat down together, looking out over the roofs of the neighboring buildings.

“You know, I’ve never tried to get onto the roof of my building before. I wonder if it’s possible,” Kurt mused.

“I would be more than happy to assist in such an expedition,” Blaine said eagerly.

“Sounds like a date,” Kurt said with a wink. 

“Wait, really?” Blaine asked hopefully, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

Kurt had said it without thinking but he found that he’d meant it. Blaine was sweet, thoughtful, and fun to be around. He could already picture them having a good time roaming the rooftops of Kurt’s neighborhood or enjoying more of Blaine’s cooking.

“Yeah, I mean, if you want to.” Kurt smiled shyly. 

“Oh, I want to,” Blaine said breathlessly.

Kurt felt himself flush all the way down to his collar. When he looked back up, Blaine’s face was somehow closer and he was looking very intently back at him.

“This is very romantic,” Kurt whispered, as if his voice might break the spell. “ _You’re_ very romantic.”

“That’s kind of my charm,” Blaine whispered back. “It’s too much for some people.”

“I like it. I like it a lot.”

“That’s very lucky for me, then.”

“Blaine?” Kurt asked, he voice trembling slightly.

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to kiss you now, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, god, yes.” Blaine’s eyes looked back at him with desire that made Kurt’s stomach flip. For a moment, he thought Blaine might just lean in the rest of the way but instead he waited, seeming to enjoy the anticipation, waiting for Kurt to make his move. Like he intuitively understood Kurt’s need to be in control.

Kurt reached out to brush Blaine’s cheek with the pad of his thumb, Blaine hummed happily and leaned into the touch. Then he ran his thumb over Blaine’s lower lip, eliciting a delicious gasp.

“Please,” Blaine whispered. It was the sexiest thing Kurt had ever heard.

“Well, I did keep you waiting for two hours already; I suppose I shouldn’t make you wait any longer.”

Blaine nodded his encouragement.

Slowly, Kurt leaned forward, taking a moment to brush his nose against Blaine’s before their lips finally connected. 

There was a shared gasp, and then Blaine threaded his fingers into Kurt’s hair, pulling him closer. Kurt moaned into his mouth. 

In Kurt’s experience, there were always at least a few minutes of awkwardness when two people kissed for the first time before they adjusted to one another’s rhythm and style but it was nothing like that with Blaine. Kissing Blaine was just effortlessly good. Like they were already in tune with one another, no adjustment period required.

They kissed fervently, passionately. Blaine had just pulled Kurt into his lap when Kurt’s phone alarm went off. Shaken out of his reverie, Kurt pulled back.

Blaine pouted. “Come back,” he whined.

“I… fuck, I’m sorry I forgot how late it was. That’s my alarm to start getting ready for bed. I’ll be a complete wreck at work tomorrow if I don’t get enough sleep. Hangry Kurt has nothing on sleep-deprived Kurt.”

“Good to know. Alright, then, I supposed we had better go inside.”

Blaine watched him fondly as he did up the buttons of his coat and collected his bag.

“I’ll, um, I’ll call you tomorrow. About that second date, okay?”

“You better,” Blaine said a grin.

“Thank you, for, well, everything. This was a remarkably good first date, all things considered.”

Blaine pulled him closer by his coat lapels, pressing him into a final, toe-curling kiss. Kurt felt his brain swirl for a few moments before he remembered that he was supposed to be leaving.

“You, sir, are dangerously distracting.”

“Fine, I’ll let you go.” Blaine’s fingers worked quickly to smooth the flaps of his lapel.

They hugged goodbye, Kurt holding on for a few extra seconds to soak in the smell of Blaine’s cologne. Finally pulling away, Kurt reluctantly wished Blaine a good night.

As he stepped into the hallway, Blaine called out to him.

“Take the stairs this time!”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluffy fun! Thank you to [BlurglesmurfKlaine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlurglesmurfKlaine/works) for beta-reading this story! Your encouragement and cheerleading are everything!
> 
> I'm really enjoying being part of the Tumblr fandom really for the first time so if you're active, come say "hi" on [Tumblr](https://esperantoauthor.tumblr.com/) !


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